Woodstock author takes readers through the Bible

By JAMI KUNZER -
jkunzer@shawmedia.com

March 24, 2014

While in the hospital at age 70, Ed Fraase wrote his first book.

Now 79, the Woodstock man who goes by the pen name "Grampa Ed" has had his fifth book – "Angels and the Angel of Light" – published. All deal with stories from the Bible, and all benefit Christian charities, with Fraase donating the profits from his books to help feed children in need.

"I wanted to do something for the Lord for keeping me here on Earth a little bit longer," said Fraase, who retired from a chemical company and worked at Ace Hardware in Woodstock before becoming an author.

"I just keep going," he said. "I've been in and out of the hospital a lot. He said, 'I want you to write.' I know I was the only person in the room at the time, and I knew it had to be Him.'"

Fraase' latest book is about the angels mentioned in the Bible, both holy and unholy. He details what they are, the jobs they perform and why they are present.

"Angels and the Angel of Light" goes through the Bible book by book.

"It teaches the Bible to people, but also explains all the angels in the Bible," Fraase said. "An awful lot of people think so much about angels. It's just a good subject. ... It seemed to be the perfect way to go to try to teach the Bible."

Fraase served in the United States Air Force from 1952 through 1956. Widowed for 24 years, he is the father of three and grandfather of six.

He said he always has followed the Bible and taught third-grade Sunday school for many years, as well as adult Sunday school and Bible study groups.

Several health issues, including a carotid artery, pneumonia, blood clots and a broken blood vessel in his lungs, landed him in the hospital nearly 10 years ago.

He then wrote his first book, "Does Your Flame Flicker?" about how to read and study the Bible. The book includes stories and jokes as well as study tips and concise overviews of each book of the Bible.

His second book, "Afraid to Read the Bible?" goes hand in hand with his first but is a bit more in depth. It includes a look at some of the scientific items in the Bible. The third "Abishag, the Half Wife," is part fiction based on a story from the Bible about Abishag, the concubine who served King David and King Solomon.

And the fourth, "The Seventy Seventh Day," is completely fiction, based on the Book of Revelation. It details a time when "Satan tries to take over the world and what he does to a good Christian family," according to its description.

Fraase said he now is working on his first children's book, a fiction book that will talk about three children growing up with Jesus.

"Nobody knows what Jesus did when he was a child," he said.

All of his books, he said, are aimed at getting people to read and study the Bible.

"A lot of people are afraid to read the Bible," he said. "I guide them through it so they can understand the Bible and little better."